In a collaborative effort to equip students with essential financial skills, Abbey School in Rotherham hosted a transformative financial education workshop delivered by Skipton Business Finance’s charity partner, WizeUp Financial Education. With support from SBF, the workshop provided tailored financial education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Abbey School is a mixed special school for children with moderate to complex learning difficulties. Recognising the importance of financial literacy, the school partnered with WizeUp, a charity committed to revamping financial education across England.
This initiative was made possible through SBF’s funding, which enables WizeUp to expand its reach, delivering impactful financial literacy workshops to schools across the UK.
The Workshop
In October 2024, WizeUp’s Associate, Mel Sneath, led the workshop at Abbey School, engaging 20 SEND students in a dynamic and interactive session focused on financial education.
The day began with an exploration of students’ dreams and goals, encouraging them to think creatively about their future aspirations. Team-building activities, such as constructing towers from spaghetti and marshmallows, fostered a growth mindset and demonstrated resilience in problem-solving—an essential skill for managing finances and life’s challenges.
Key Activities and Outcomes
- Dreaming Big and Goal Setting
Students shared their aspirations, brainstorming how they could achieve their goals by leveraging their talents and hobbies. - Creative Business Ideas
• Students developed entrepreneurial ideas, such as creating artwork to sell.
• WizeUp supported their efforts by commissioning the artwork, providing students with tokens for their creations. - Practical Budgeting Exercise
• Using the tokens they earned, students participated in a budgeting activity at the “WizeUp Tuck Shop.”
• They learned to manage a set budget, balancing expenses and savings while understanding basic financial concepts like income and expenditure. - Celebration of Success
The workshop concluded with students receiving a ‘WizeUp/ Skipton Business Finance’ certificate, recognising their hard work and engagement throughout the day.
Impact
The workshop equipped students with practical financial knowledge and problem-solving skills while boosting their confidence and creativity. The unique focus on SEND students underscored the importance of inclusivity in financial education.
Mike Flack, CEO of WizeUp, reflected on the success of the event:
“We were thrilled to visit Abbey School and deliver the ‘WizeUp with Skipton Business Finance’ programme. The funding provided by SBF has allowed us to support our SEND programme for these students. A huge congratulations to the students and thank you to the staff for their warm welcome.”
Looking Ahead
Thanks to funding from SBF, WizeUp will continue its mission to improve financial literacy. The charity plans to deliver workshops in schools in Bristol and Chorley, expanding its reach to both SEND and mainstream students.
Mike Flack added:
“In the UK, 2 in 5 adults do not feel confident in managing their money. As a financial education charity, we feel a responsibility to change this. With support from partners like Skipton Business Finance, we can continue to make a meaningful impact.”
Find out more about our partnership with WizeUp here.